Mexico 2018

Mexico’s last few weeks have been charged. Currently, Mexican Public opinion can be lump-summed into two teams: the liberal camp and the socialist side. In all fairness, they are both not that far apart, and perhaps their spatiality places them tilted towards more conservative right-winged traditional positions.

There are three emerging trends: US relations, Corruption & Succession, and Global positioning. These three trends I believe can sum up a great deal of the Mexican struggle. Some might argue that it is poverty and lack of opportunities, yet, I tend to side with the idea that although Mexico is more unequal, it is now a much better place to live than when the Mexican Revolution destroyed 25% of GDP.

Regarding the US relationship, there are three keys to understand it: economic integration, social integration, historical processes. Economic integration has always been present, Mexico and the US following the Porfirian lineage of integration, it reached its peak with the Porfirian revival of President Salinas with NAFTA 1994. That story is to come to an end, bringing strains on business and economic growth for the economic region. On the social integration side, the economic exchanges, both formal and informal, have created multiple social connections between American communities and Mexican ones. The micro Mexico-American family lives have intertwined and created a closeness that has overturned, to a great extent, the traditional Mexican animosity towards the united states. All these three themes bring forth a new relationship where non-economic connections have become a pivoting factor to understand that the Mexico-us relationship will not suffer from NAFTA but will most likely strengthen. To the extent I believe, that Trump has woken up DEEP Latino Unity, and let us not forget historically… latin upbringing jealously defends social unity to the demise of individuality.

Corruption in Mexico is rampant. Mexicans have become well acquainted with the way it operates but have not been able to recognise the cost it has in their daily lives. From the fear of leaving home to be robbed, and in some communities murdered for no apparent reason, to being unable to create the jobs required to develop the country and end poverty. Furthermore, the conversation has shifted to a very complicated perspective for the incumbent PRI; it has become the choice between supporting corruption or not. Pair the cost of corruption, with the naive association that corruption in Mexico only exists because PRI is in power, to find yourself in an explosive presidential race. Where more than being a good or bad candidate becomes irrelevant, but whether the same elite remains in power, or give way to a different one.

Mexico is a global player. Mexicans fail to realise that their country is the world’s 15th economy, right behind now world-superpower Russia(12th). Let’s push it further… its population is the 10th in the world. Again, economy and population both comparable to Russia. Somehow, Mexico fails to understand that it is poised to be a leader with its views and policies. It shames me to say that Mexico only believed such ideals when it was ruled by its “evil” dictator Porfirio Díaz, and perhaps slightly when Carlos Salinas was president. Both socially shunned and blamed for Mexico’s demise, while pure economic data proves otherwise.

Bearing in mind, US relations, Corruption & Succession, and Global positioning, Mexico fails to value its vast and extensive culture. Under no circumstance does any American continent country hold a wide array of cultures and traditions as Mexico does. It is uniquely positioned to portray its prolific art scene as well as its ancient traditions as a vision for prosperity and justice. Then again, governments neglect art, culture, science and education. There is no surprise in this elite’s disdain, believing that any modern day brand holds more value than any sublime expression of art and culture.

Then again, Mexico is not ready to change, nor will letting go of PRI magically make our country “Great Again”… although… it could be a game changer.